Is it Safe to Visit the United States?

After I wrote an article about why, despite what you see in the news, Europe is safe to visit, someone asked (with a degree of snark) if I would write a similar article about the United States, too?

After all, as an American writing for a mostly American audience, I tend to mostly focus on what’s beyond our borders. But I have thought about this question before — especially since 45% of the people who read this website aren’t from the United States.

So, it’s only fair to ask (especially given all that is going on today) the question:

“Is the United States a safe place to visit?”

When people first started asking me this question this many years ago, I felt they wanted to know two things:

1. Does gun violence happen so often that they should worry about being shot?
2. Will everyone hate them because they’re a foreigner (or, especially, a non-white foreigner)?

But, now with Trump in office again, people are also worried about the stories they hear about being detained at the border or denied entry into the United States.

I get all these concerns. Just like we in the United States have a certain perception, the rest of the world has a perception about the United States. Our news only seems to highlight the negative. So does foreign news. With stories of mass shootings and gun violence, police brutality toward minorities, and recent detentions of people trying to visit, potential travelers to the U.S. might think, “Maybe the United States isn’t a safe and welcoming country. Let’s go somewhere else.”

And they are. In the first months of 2025, travel to the United States is down substantially, and it shows no signs of reversing. 

So should you visit or should you stay away?

First, let’s deal with the elephant in the room: Donald Trump. The Trump administration has made it clear that they are going to be “tough on immigration” and there are plenty of stories of them deporting legal residents and revoking student visas (despite what the courts are telling them to do). There are even countless stories of even Green Card holders being detained or denied entry. 

And there are many stories related to travelers too. In fact, it’s so prevalent that articles about knowing your rights when entering the United States are appearing in major papers all around the globe.

As I have already mentioned, Trump’s policies have caused a sharp decrease in visitors to the United States (and I don’t think will change any time soon). Trump denied this is happening in an interview with ABC but data continues to show visitor numbers dropping and most tourism board officials I talk to expect to see at least a 30% decline in visitors.

But, all that said, do you really need to worry about getting turned away at the border?

I’d never thought I would say this but I think the reality is that there is a non-zero chance you may be detained and questioned just for being a foreigner. While the US has always pulled aside people of color due to our “war on terror,” because the administration has told agents to ramp up arrests to hit quotas, agents are being more aggressive. They are looking for reasons to get you and you need to minimize risk because, if they find a reason, they aren’t going to be friendly or accommodating (see the reports of everyone being thrown in detain, stripped searched, and aggressively questioned.)

Here is what I would do to minimize your risks:

1. Have your accommodations booked – The German girls who got sent home didn’t – and that was the excuse the agents needed to deport them. (I’ll note that lots of countries do require you to have your accommodation booked in advance. It’s just that few countries react the way our border agents did.)

2. Delete your social media from your phone – Border agents do have the right in the U.S. to go through your phone so, before you land, delete everything so they find nothing.

3. Turn off Face ID – Speaking of which, while you don’t have to give them your password, if you do have Face ID, they can legally use that to unlock your device so turn that off too. (Note: That if you refuse to unlock your phone, they can use that as grounds for removal.)

4. Show sufficient funds – Be ready to show sufficient funds for the length of your stay. While this is something most countries require of visitors, few countries actually ask for it but the US might so be ready to show funds.

5. Have a return flight – Again, this is something many countries want but few ask about for but I would not come into the United States on a one-way ticket. That is screaming to get you sent back.

If you do these things, you are less likely to be denied entry. View coming to the States like you would to any other authoritative regime. Plenty of people are coming to the US and not being denied entry. Just make sure all your paperwork is in order in case they ask.

Gun Violence in America

I won’t deny the statistics: The US has the highest rate of death by guns in the developed world. Gun-related deaths only increase year over year.

But the United States is generally safe to visit in this regard.

Why? Mass shootings don’t happen that often in touristy areas or big cities. It’s going to sound cold for me to say but the truth is the majority of shootings happen in schools, shopping centers, rural and impoverished areas, and in places tourists generally don’t go.

I never ever think about gun violence when I’m in NYC, Disney, Austin, LA, Chicago, DC, or one of the national parks. Neither should you. The likelihood of you getting shot is really low. Yes, it’s not zero. But it’s not likely. 

Racism in America

Finally, let’s talk about racial attitudes. The United States is very big and very, very diverse. You can drive for 15 hours straight, going 65 mph, and still be in the same state. Most visitors just don’t understand how vast the US is until they arrive. A friend in Chicago told me how two visitors from France wanted to go to Disney for the weekend. They thought it was a short drive because in Europe, a multi-day drive gets you most of the way across the continent!

Due to this size, there is a lot of cultural (and political) variation. While Americans do share some common bonds and beliefs, it often feels like the US is really a collection of micro-countries. The culture of Alabama is different than the culture of NYC, which is different than the culture of Chicago, Hawaii, Alaska, Wyoming, or Florida. Cuisine, slang, dress style, accents, attitude, how people walk — it’s all different from region to region and state to state.

In reality, it depends on where you go. “Red” states are often more racist than “Blue” states but there is a lot of racism in the United States. Like a lot. Trump, MAGA, and social media have shown that the United States is a lot more racist than people thought. 

I know that, as a white guy, I can’t speak to what life is like here as a person of color. I’ve met many, many, many non-white travelers who tell me how wonderful they found the United States and how welcoming everyone is, how people smile, say hello, and go out of their way to help. But I’ve met people who have said the opposite too.

I will not deny that there is systemic racism in this country, but just as people aren’t the government, so too we shouldn’t stereotype and say that all Americans are racist. Attitudes about immigrants, the LGBTQ community, Muslims, and everyone else vary a lot depending on where you are in the country. 

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The United States is not perfect. It is filled with dozens of climates, hundreds of cultures, thousands of cities and towns, and 345 million people. Problems in one state or city don’t mean you can’t visit another part of the country.

Not coming here because of what you read in the news is to say that everyone is the same, not recognizing the vast cultural differences in the country. It is like saying you won’t go to the Middle East because everyone there is a terrorist.

What you see on TV is only a small, small, small sliver of the people who live in the country. Because, remember: if it bleeds, it leads. The stories that paint the United States as a violent place fit nicely into the existing narrative that the media upholds. (Just like the world being unsafe fits into the narrative that many Americans have).

Can I guarantee you won’t be detained or questioned at the border? No.

Can I say there won’t be any gun violence while you’re here? No.

Can I say you won’t experience racism? No.

Can I say something bad won’t happen to you? No.

But all countries have their problems and the media hypes everything up. Americans, like people everywhere, are generally good people who are just trying to get through the day. They are people with friends and families and are welcoming towards strangers. 

If you don’t want to come here because of our government, fine (even though I think politically based travel boycotts are dumb), but don’t skip this place I call home. It’s an incredibly diverse country, both culturally and geographically, and a great place to travel around.

Be safe. Be aware. Use your common sense. Lots of tourists are still coming here and they are safe.